Electrode for chromium plating



Jan. 12, 1954 L. G. DE QUASIE ET AL 2,666,029

ELECTRODE FOR CHROMIUM PLATING Filed Sept. 26, 1951 4 6 g a Z 5 3 INVENTORJ LAE'FYELE/V Y 1754144515 BY W.m

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1954 Rochester, N. Y., assignors to Rochester Le-ad Works, 1110., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 26, 1951,8eria1 No. 248,348

5 Claims.

i'zedprevious'types of anodes.

In the past, a type of anode that has been frequently used consists of a lead body .portion which extends into the chromic acid bath and a hook portion of copper that is soldered or burned on to the lead body, and this type of construction "has the objection "that corrosion occurs at the meeting line between the copper hook portion and the lead body and such corros'ion at the joint reduces the conductivity of the anode and also weakens the joint so that the hook portion is likely to break away "from the body portion after being used for a time, and it is a particular purpose of the invention to overcome this difficulty by providing to, structure in which "the hook portion is formed integral with the lead-containing body portion so that there is no joint between the hook "and body portions and consequently no likelihood of these parts breaking or separating from each other or of conductivity of the anode being reduced by corrosion at a joint between the hook and body portions.

Another type of anode that has come into use includes hook and body portions formed from an integral lead-containing bar or plate, and

while this construction is satisfactory if the hook portion is constantly kept clean to ali'ord good contact with the conductor bar, it is a further purpose of the invention to afiord an anode including integral or one-piece lead-containing body and hook portions and to provide the hook portion with "a copper element united to the hook portion in such a manner as to afford efiic'ient and satisfactory contact with the conductor bar "under all conditions and after continued use of the anode, resulting in greater conductivity, and to impart "greater strength to the hook portion and lessen its chance of "bend 'ing or straightening from the weight of the body portion of the anode. 7

An additional object of the invention is to afford a construction in which the hook portion is provided with a copper element for contact with the conductor bar and the copper surface protected in such a way as to avoid disintegration from chromic acid 'iurnes of the bath and consequent mixing of copper particles with the bath which is undesirable because of resulting contamination of the bath from the copper, and the present structure is such that while the copper element "affords (proper contact with the conductor bar and 'eflicie'nt "conductivity, there is little likelihood or the bath being contaminated by copper disintegrating and loosening as a result of the chromic acid bath fumes attacking the copper at a point immediately above the surface of the bath.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the folllowing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features 'bein'g pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings: v

"Fig. '1 'is a view in side elevation or an anode constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 21s a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the lead solder body that is used to unite the copper contact rod to the hook portion of the anode. v

The invention is applicable in the manufacture of an anode formed of lead 'or lead combined with approximately 6% antimony or 4% to 7% tin or other strengtheningand acid-resisting agent combined with the lead as in the manufacture of conventional lead anodes, and such a lead :mass is first extruded to form a straight bar or late including a body portion I which is preferably about 1% thick from front to back at its outer edges, preferably about 3 "in width and provided on its front surface with a central rib or flange 2 and outer ribs or flanges 3 spaced equally from the center rib and from the side "edges of the body.

'Onfits opposite or rear surface, the bar or plate is provided -with a groove or recess 4 ree erably of generally semi-cylindrical cross-section with a diameter of about extending longitudinally of the anode and centrally between the side edges for a purpose that will appear presently, and in order to impart adequate strength "to the body and hook portions, the bar is somewhat thicker at the center adjacent to the roove or recess 4, as indicated at 5, and both theiroht and rear surfaces of the lead body taper outwardly toward the side edges where they are somewhat thinner, as indicated at "6. The bar or plate is cut away at opposite 3 sides at one end to afford a hook portion of reduced width, as well known in the art.

In order to afford a copper surface for contact with the conducting bar, a copper rod or other copper element of suitable cross-sectional shape is attached to the lead body before bending the latter to form the hook portion, ,thecopper element being attached in such a manner as to afford an exposed contacting copper surface throughout the hook portion to a point on the body of the anode slightly above the normal level of the bath into which it is'inserted, and in order to accomplish this, a. semi-tubular body of lead solder, as indicated at '5, having an outer diameter the same as the diameter of, the groove 4, is laid in the groove or recess 5, following which a cylindrical rod B of copper, having a diameter of about A", the same as the inner diapplied to the copper rod 3 as by a blow-torch to melt the solder, and bring about a firm rigid union. betweenthe copper rod 8 and the lead body. The heat thus applied is suflicient to melt the solder but not high enough to melt the lead of the lead body.

After the parts thus described are finally at tached, the exposed surface of the copper rod. 8 extends slightly above the adjacent surfaces of the solder body which hold it in the recess or groove, and thus insures a copper surface'for contact with the conducting bar 9 on which .the anode is supported. The copper rode also performs the additional function of impartingincreased strength to the hook portion of the anode, lessening any tendency for it to straighten from the weight of the body portion.

By extending the copper contact rod throughout the length of the hook portion, greater conductivity is assured and in order to protect the lower portion of the copper rod Where it is located at a point slightly above the bath, the copper rod is preferably entirely covered by insering over the outer portion of its lowerendja semi-tubular portion of solder which is pressed against the copper rod and melted thereon to cover and protect the same as at it, for a distance of about one inch, either at the same time that the inner solder member is united or subse quently thereto, as preferred. After the copper rod 8 is attached to the lead body of the anode,

the latter is bent in a suitable fixture to form the hook portion I i as usual in themanufacture of anodes. l

An anode constructed in accordance with the invention has all the advantages and none of the objections of anodes in which a copper hook is burned on to a lead body, or anodes having integral lead body or hook portions in which a lead surface contacts with the conductorbar, and while the invention has beendescribed in connection with a particular structurait is not confined to the ,arrangementj herein disclosed, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come. within 2,666,029 w f -V the purposes of the improvement and the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A chromium plating anode comprising a one-piece body and a, generally U-shaped hook portion containing at least a major proportion of lead, the hook portion having a groove extending longitudinally of its inner face coextensive with and arranged centrally between the vside edges of the hook portion, and a copper contact rod located in said groove, said contact rod being coextensive enolwise with the hook portion and having approximately one-half its cross-- section embedded and secured throughout its length in said groove and approximately one-half its cross-section forming a continuous exposed surface coextensive with the hook portion and projecting laterally beyond the adjacent surfaces of the hook portion, said exposed surface of the copper contact rod having a tapering cross-sectional form affording a surface of limited area for contacting a conducting bar and said copper contact rod imparting increased stiffness and conductivity to said hook portion.

2. A chromium plating anode comprising a one-piece body and a generally U-shaped hook portion containing at least a major proportion of lead, the hook portion having a groove of semi-cylindrical cross-section of approximately diameter extending longitudinally of its inner face coextensive with and arranged centrally between the side edges of the hook portion, a copper contact rod having a thickness of approximately M located in said groove, said copper contact rod being coextensive ,endwise with the hook portion and having approximately one-half its cross-section embedded and secured in said groove and approximately one-half its cross-section forming a continuous exposed surface coextensive with the hook portion and projecting laterally beyond the adjacent surfaces of the hook portion, and an elongated semi-tubular body of solder having a semi-cylindrical exterior surface engaging the aforesaid semi-cylindrical groove and arranged between said copper contact rod and the hook portion and uniting the copper rod to the hook portion throughout the length of the hook portion, said, exposed surface of the copper contact rod having a tapering cross-sectional form affording a surface of limited area for contacting a conducting bar and said copper contact rod imparting increased stiffness and conductivity to. said hook portion. a

3. A chromium plating anode comprising. a one-piece body and a generally U-shaped hook portion containing at least a major proportion of lead, the body and hook portions having a continuous rib extending endwise and centrally on the outer surface of the hook portion and on the front of the body portion, said body being thickest at its center adjacent to said central rib and tapered outwardly toward the side edges, the hook portion havinga groove of semi-cylindrical crosssection of approximately diameterextending longitudinally of its inner face arranged centrally between its side edges and coextensiveendwise with the hook portion, and a copper contact rod having a thickness of approximately located in said groove coextensive endwise there'- with and attached throughout its length to the hook portion, said copper contact rod having a continuous exposed surface coextensive with the hook portion and projecting laterally beyond the adjacent surfaces of the hook portion, saidv ex posed surface of the copper contact rod having a tapering cross-sectional form affording a surface of limited area for contacting a conducting bar, and said copper contact rod impartin increased stiffness and conductivity to said hook portion.

4. A chromium plating anode comprising a one-piece body and a generally U-shaped hook portion containing at least a major proportion of lead, and a copper contact rod extending endwise of the hook portion on its inner face coextensive therewith and centrally thereof between its side edges and attached throughout its length to the hook portion, the copper rod being attached over approximately one-half its surface to the hook portion and approximately half the surface of said copper contact rod being exposed and projecting outwardly beyond the adjacent surfaces of the hook portion throughout the length of the hook portion and said exposed surface of the copper contact rod having a tapering cross-sectional form affordin a surface of limited area for contacting a conducting bar, and said copper contact rod imparting increased stiffness and conductivity to said hook portion.

5. A chromium plating anode comprising a one-piece body and a generally U-shaped hook portion containing at least a major proportion of lead, the hook portion having a groove of semicylindrical cross-section of approximately diameter on its inner face extending throughout the length of the hook portion centrally thereof 6 between its side edges, a copper contact rod hav ing a thickness of approximately A located in said groove coextensive endwise with the hook portion, and an elongated semi-tubular body of solder partially surrounding said copper contact rod, the body of solder being coextensive with the hook portion and copper contact rod and securing the rod to the hook portion throughout its length and said copper rod having a continuous exposed surface coextensive with the hook portion projecting beyond the adjacent surfaces of the hook portion and solder and said exposed surface having a tapering cross-sectional form aifording a surface of limited area for contacting a conducting bar, and said copper contact rod impartingincreased stiffness and conductivity to said hook portion.

LACEY GLENN DE QUASIE. ROBERT E. KOCHS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,267,653 Gillis May 28, 1918 1,501,692 Ward July 15, 1924 2,237,283 Baskerville Apr. 8, 1941 2,274,422 Mahoney Feb. 24, 1942 2,331,320 Hartzell Oct. 12, 1943 2,443,112 Morin June 8, 1948 2,594,881 De Quasie et a1 Apr. 29, 1952 

1. A CHROMIUM PLATING ANODE COMPRISING A ONE-PIECE BODY AND A GENERALLY U-SHAPED HOOK PORTION CONTAINING AT LEAST A MAJOR PROPORTION OF LEAD, THE HOOK PORTION HAVING A GROOVE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF ITS INNER FACE COEXTENSIVE WITH AND ARRANGED CENTRALLY BETWEEN THE SIDE EDGES OF THE HOOK PORTION, AND A COOPER CONTACT ROD LOCATED IN SAID GROOVE, SAID CONTACT ROD BEING COEXTENSIVE ENDWISE WITH THE HOOK PORTION AND HAVING APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF ITS CROSSSECTION EMBEDDED AND SECURED THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH IN SAID GROOVE AND APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF ITS CROSS-SECTION FORMING A CONTINUOUS EXPOSED SURFACE COEXTENSIVE WITH THE HOOK PORTION AND PROJECTING LATERALLY BEYOND THE ADJACENT SURFACES OF THE HOOK PORTION, SAID EXPOSED SURFACE OF THE COPPER CONTACT ROD HAVING A TAPERING CROSS-SECTIONAL FORM AFFORDING A SURFACE OF LIMITED AREA FOR CONTACTING A CONDUCTING BAR AND SAID COPPER CONTACT ROD IMPARTING INCREASED STIFFNESS AND CONDUCTIVITY TO SAID HOOK PORTION. 